Thursday, October 25, 2012

Home Treatments For Heel Pain

When you have heel pain, there are some things you can be doing at home to help alleviate the pain.
1. Rest. When you experience intense pain, stay off your feet and put them up for several hours a day to relieve the strain on the plantar fascia. When you are able to return to your normal routine, avoid overexercising. Reduce the distances you walk or run, or switch to a low-impact activity such as swimming or cycling to avoid strain.
2. Ice. Apply an ice pack to the painful area three or four times a day for up to 20 minutes to reduce pain and inflammation. You can also place a tennis ball in the freeze and roll or massage your foot over the tennis ball.
3. Arch supports. Over-the-counter or office dispensed orthotics may be a quick fix for mild cases of heel pain, or when you're waiting for your custom orthotics to be made. Orthotics relieve the tension on the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles by redistributing your weight.
4. Stretches. Browse through our blog for many exercises and stretches you can do at home to help your plantar fasciitis.
5. Over-the-counter medications. Ibuprofen may reduce the pain and inflammation of heel pain.
6. Wear supportive shoes. That may mean you will have to go through your closet and get rid of all shoes that are old, worn, non-supportive, too-tight, too-loose, and ill-fitting. This is often the reason why heel pain comes back for many people- they do a quick fix on the heel pain, but do nothing to prevent it from coming back in the future. One way is to go through your shoes. All shoes should have good arch support, a low to moderate heel, and have heel support. If your shoes don't have these qualities, toss them! You'll thank us, we promise.
If you are experiencing heel pain, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Rocky Hill and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, follow my tweets on Twitter, and friend or like our page on Facebook.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy and Heel Pain

If you're struggling with heel pain, you know how difficult it is to even get out of bed in the morning. Perhaps you've been to a podiatrist and tried all of their recommendations, including a cortisone shot, but have had no luck in feeling any pain relief. 
New to the field of podiatry is platelet-rich plasma therapy, which has been effective in treating extreme plantar fasciitis. If you've had no success with conservative treatment options, this may help you.
Platelet-rich plasma takes a different approach to healing than a traditional cortisone shot does. Instead of having cortisone injected into the affected area, a combination of plasma and platelet fluid are shot. Both of these substances help connective tissue grow and promote vascular healing, as well as aid with inflammation.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy's natural healing process intensifies the body's efforts by delivering a higher concentration of platelets. To create PRP therapy, a small sample of your blood is taken and placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood at high speeds, separating the platelets from other components. The concentrated PRP is then injected to and around the affected injured area, jump starting your body's natural healing signal. Because your own blood is used, there is no risk of transmissible infection and very low risk of allergic reaction.
The procedure takes any where from one to two hours, including preparation and recovery time. Most people return to their jobs immediately after the therapy. Up to three injections may be given within a six month time frame, usually three weeks apart.
Studies show that patients who received this treatment showed improvement after four weeks, which was consistent for a year after receiving the shot. MRI and ultrasound images show considerable definitive tissue repair after the treatment. The need for surgery is greatly eliminated with this therapy.
If you are experiencing heel pain, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Rocky Hill and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, follow my tweets on Twitter, and friend or like our page on Facebook.


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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Heel Pain Stretch of the Week: Piriformis Stretch

Lie flat on your back with knees bent. Cross the right knee over the left thigh. Stabilize the left thigh with your arms. Gently pull the right knee toward your chest until a comfortable stretch is felt in the buttock/hip area. Reverse legs and repeat.
Hold 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each leg, 1 time per day.
If you are experiencing heel pain, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Rocky Hill and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, follow my tweets on Twitter, and friend or like our page on Facebook.
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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Heel Pain Stretch of the Week: IT Band Stretch

Stand with your left side 2-3 feet from a wall. Place your left hand on the wall and cross your right leg across your left leg. Lean into the wall until you feel a gentle stretch in your left leg. Turn around and reverse arms and legs to stretch right leg.
Hold 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each leg, 1 time per day.
If you are experiencing heel pain, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Rocky Hill and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, follow my tweets on Twitter, and friend or like our page on Facebook.
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